The present invention relates to a connector for coupling two contact line segments placed in end-to-end flush disposition and made of elongate profiles of plastic for accommodating current conductor rails which cooperate with a current collector traveling inside the contact line arrangement.
A publication, issued by the company Akapp and entitled "Multiconductor" discloses a current contact line arrangement which is comprised of separate contact line segments of pre-assembled lengths that are joined together by coupling sleeves. The contact line segments are made of elongate profiles of plastic to form a casing for receiving the current conductor rails. The placement of the contact line segments inside the coupling sleeves is realized in such a manner that the end faces of the confronting elongate plastic profiles and the end faces of confronting conductor rails abut one another in end-to-end disposition. The difference of the thermal expansion coefficients between conductor rail and plastic casing is compensated by expansion joints which are spaced apart at certain distances. The expansion joints are so configured that the elongate plastic profiles are in alignment at a distance from one another within each expansion joint. The differences in expansion encountered between the elongate plastic profiles during temperature fluctuations and added up along several contact line segments is thus compensated by the expansion gap formed by the expansion joints.
A drawback of this contact line arrangement is the need for separate expansion joints and the requirement to particularly design current collectors for traveling over the expansion gap, i.e. the current collectors must be designed of greater length and/or include an additional pair of wheels. Moreover, additional mountings and guides for the elongate plastic profiles become necessary.
Brochures published in 1997 and in 1996 by the company Paul Vahle GmbH & Co. KG and entitled "Sicherheits-Schleifleitungen" and "Sicherheits-Schlelfleitungen--MKL", respectively, describe the use of expansion pieces for compensating varying length expansions. These expansion joints are utilized in addition to coupling sleeves which join together the pre-assembled contact line segments. Also disadvantageous in these configurations is the need for the use of expansion pieces spaced from one another at defined distances.
From a brochure published in 1993 by Mannesmann Demag Fordertechnik AG and entitled "Kompakt-Kleinschleifleitung DKK", it is also known to use an expansion joint for contact line segments which are made of elongate plastic profiles and accommodate the current conductor rails and the current collectors of vehicles traveling in the plastic profiles. Confronting ends of the contact line segments are rectilinear in the transition zone and arranged in spaced-apart flush disposition. Moreover, the confronting ends of the contact line segments are provided with a funnel-shaped attachment to ensure a passage of the collector vehicle from one contact line segment to the succeeding contact line segment. The funnels of confronting ends of contact line segments are mirror images of one another and are spaced at a distance of few centimeters to compensate temperature-based length changes of the elongate plastic profiles. The distance between the funnels is so selected as to ensure a passage of two linked collector vehicles, with the funnels serving as guide for the linked collector vehicles on the inlet end. A drawback of this type of connector is the need for interrupting the conductor rails for safety reasons and the fact that only linked collector vehicles are able to pass the expansion gap.